Painting with all the Colors of the Wind
by MoonShadow269
Summary: Awentia is a young Native American girl who meets a young boy within the depths of her secret spot in the part of the forest her tribe controls. Wary yet drawn to the child, she befriends him and shows him all the wonders that her people have known from the beginning of their time. Check out where I got this picture from: niirasri .deviantart art/ APH-Lifeblood -213638000
1. The Alien Child

Hey everyone! It's been forever since I've posted anything Alfred-related! This is a brand new story that I thought of when I was listening to "Colors of the Wind" from the movie _Pocahontas_ and relishing the depths of its meaning! You should definitely listen to that song again.

Anyway, Awentia means '_fawn_' (truthfully, I know how much of a stereotypical American I am-I had to search Native America names to finally decide on what to call her) and I think it fits her even though she's pretty paranoid at this point! She's from a small, fictional tribe that won't be mentioned because of how I'm not really sure what tribe she should belong to and how exactly I'll managed to make the story work with all things history (haha, Disney, get it?). I hope you enjoy the story, and remember, I OWN NOTHING HETALIA (though I really want to...) AND "COLORS OF THE WIND" IS THE RIGHTFUL PROPERTY OF WHOM IT MAY CONCERNS (the people who wrote it, sang it, ect.)!

_I do not own Hetalia or the characters, those belong to their rightful (and freaking awesome) creator, Hidekaz Himaruya!_

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A young woman crouched in the shadows, peeking expertly over the tops of the bushes. Several pale-skinned men jumped to shore, urgently waving material attached to staffs and staking them into the ground. She watched them warily, warned by her tribe that all things different should be treated and regarded cautiously. They advanced, armed with interestingly crafted, yet crude looking weapons. One lifted his to the sky and pulled the trigger, creating a booming sound that nearly startled her out of her hiding spot. Terrified, she turned, scattering a few silent leaves in her wake. As she bounded through the forest, she dared not to cry out and alert the aliens of her presence. When she reached her tribe, she called out to her older brothers and her father.

"Awentia, what's wrong?" A dark, tanned hand grasped her shoulder. She turned, feeling relief flood through her very being as she met the ebony eyes of her father.

"There are strange men who have just landed to shore! We must return to the depths of the forests, where they would be less likely to find us!" She urged, placing her hands against his arms in persistence. "They are armed with black sticks that let out booms when used and leave destruction in their wake!" The last part was made up, but if a sound could be made as such, then it was no doubt what could be expected. A torn look appeared on his face and he dipped his head in a small nod, pulling slowly out of her grasp.

"I will see that the news travels to the elders." He paused, biting his lip at her crestfallen expression. "Let us hope they will allow us to do what you think is best." He patted her hands reassuringly before turning away and heading straight for the chief's hut. She stared after him desperately, clenching her hands into fists as she glared out toward the general direction of the shore.

_I will never allow these white-skins to take our forests! They are just like the other tribes, I swear!_ She swallowed thickly and bounded further into the forest that surrounded their camp. Awentia pushed through the thick foliage and immediately felt at peace when she arrived at her favorite spot within her tribe's territory. It was small and dainty, with rich, soft grass that tickled her ankles and laid cool kisses against her cheeks. A small stream flowed through it and all around the little clearing was dense forest growth. The sunlight that filtered through those leaves dappled the clearing in a charming pattern that never failed to dazzle her. Just further up of the stream—before the thick grove of sycamores was a small pond that fed it.

Awentia laid herself in the soft grass, relishing the tenderness of the greens against her skin. It was only a wonder how the other tribe members never found this place, and even if they did, they spoke nothing of it. In a way, it was her little sanctuary. Her own little place of peace. There was a sudden rustle of grass and she bolted upright, startled and irritated. Across the small clearing was a large clump of grass, which wasn't as soft as the type beneath her, but was large and wide enough to be home to seven grown white-tailed deer. She stood and carefully picked her way to it, enraged by how someone had managed to get into her favorite patch of meadow.

A small pink nose poked out of the grass as she crossed the stream and she stopped, suspicious. When the rest of the creature emerged, she let out a soft sigh of relief—it was only a white rabbit with a nose too curious for its own good. Just as she was about to shoo it away, small hands erupted from the grass and grabbed the rabbit on its sides, attempting to drag it back into the clump. The bunny relented, not struggling as it was engulfed by tall grass once again. Warily, Awentia stepped forward, reaching over to part the grass with cautious hands. What she found inside of the grass both stunned and infuriated.

Two jewel blue eyes stared back up at her, peeking out of a soft blanket of golden hair. It was a child, seemingly to be younger than five springs old. At first, the expression on the pale face was stricken, then softening to curiosity as he gazed back at the reddish-brown skin of the young woman. She took a step back, lip curling up in a snarl as she found one of the alien children in her forest. He offered her a charming smile, full of innocence as he picked up his rabbit and held it by the armpits, holding it out to her. She watched him warily, cautiously judging the distance between the two of them. He took a step forward—out of the grass—and beckoned again with his hands, letting out a small noise from the back of his throat.

_Doesn't he know how to speak? His parents should've taught him by now._ Carefully, she took the rabbit from his arms, watching him from the corner of her eye. Beaming, he jumped up and down, grabbing her hand before she realized it and proceeded to drag her deeper into the forest. She tried to pull back but winced as she realized how tightly he was holding onto her. _His strength is outrageous! _She thought, _these aliens truly are barbarians!_ By the time that he had let go of her, he gestured to another meadow, where a wide river crossed through the middle. Shrubs were littered all around the long grass, and trees parted to let the water pass over their roots. She gave the boy a surprised look, startled to find that he knew this clearing.

_It must've been luck,_ she thought. _It is impossible for this child—this _alien_ to know these forests like we do!_ But the way that he pulled her forcefully to riverbed and proceeded to show her what he did with the forests and how expertly he navigated through the trees, she realized that he was indeed, an inhabitant of this land. _The aliens have settled here before? Our legends have never told of any pale-man ruling any set of land—no other tribes speak of it either!_ She critically overlooked the young boy holding her hand, analyzing her choices. _The best way to ask him questions is to teach him the language first, _she decided. _And I'll do just the thing._


	2. Winter's Warning

Hey everyone! To all USUK fans, please take a look at a fanfic by The-Golden-Sunrise right here on Fanfiction! It's a story describing my favorite pairing (USUK, of course ;)) and how they relate to everyone in the Titanic. Yes, you might not like USUK. That's okay though-they have GREAT references to ALL characters that are important in the Titanic and most of the character choices COMPLETELY make sense.

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"You, young sir, are very hard to amuse," Awentia groaned, pressing her hand to her forehead and shaking her head slowly. The young boy looked up at her with wide blue eyes, giggling as he took in the meaning of her words. It had been three seasons since she had met the young alien boy in her favorite clearing. It was autumn, nearing winter, when it would be cold and harsh to live outside. She would have to take care of him somehow—provide him with shelter and warmth, at the very least! She was unsure of whether her tribe would accept of this young, pale boy joining them at their bonfires when it was quite obvious that he was not one of them.

"Awentia? You okay?" After nine months of attempting to teach him to speak her language, he was just as fluent as any natural-born child in her tribe. Either way, that didn't stop him from slurring up the language a little and cutting down sentences to what he considered the bare minimum.

"Yes, but I'm worried about what will happen to you in the winter." She sighed, resting onto the soft grass of her meadow and staring up through the dappled leaves.

"I…can take care of myself." Looking up at her, the little boy's eyes grew large. "I have ways of getting food." The look in her eyes changed, but she was still as tense as before.

"No, I need to make sure that you're close enough for me to check up on you, but my tribe will not permit me to go without guides in the winter. I can't meet you when it snows."

"And when it doesn't?" His blue eyes looked up at her, innocently. She sat up, sitting cross-legged.

"Not until the first flowers bloom in the meadows and the snow clears up." She eyed him critically as he sat back, disappointed and worried. "But for now, I need build a home somewhere in the forest where I can find you and where you won't be found so easily by everyone else."

"If I find one by tomorrow, can we start then?" The light was back in his eyes, his smile broad and his hands outstretched toward her. Awentia picked him up, hugging him to her chest before he settled himself on her lap.

"Of course we can. But first, I can't believe how it managed to slip by me so many times! You are nameless, right?" The boy nodded, offering a small smile before looking down dejectedly at his feet. "Now, now, don't you dare look like that. Look up at me. Come on, look up." The boy glanced back up at her, eyes wide and bluer than ever. "I'll give you a name. Let's call you Etu."

"Etu?" His eyes widened even further, if that were even possible. Awentia looked down with an amused and caring smile on her face. "But…"

"Hush." She whispered. "With hair as golden as its rays, a smile that matches its radiance, and compassion as fulfilling as its warmth, you will be named Etu." Etu played with her dark hair for a bit before looking up with a delighted smile on his face. Shyly, he rested his face on her shoulder, happily humming the tune of the song Awentia often sang for him. The two of them stayed like that until it neared sunset. Etu disappeared, promising that he would find the perfect place for his home while Awentia couldn't help but worry after him, back with the rest of her tribe.

Everyone had noticed something was different about her, but the only one who dared to speak up to her was her eldest brother. "Awentia. Times are hard—are they not?"

"Very," she sighed, absentmindedly drawing in the dirt with a stick.

"And we know you are already reaching your twentieth summer," he continued, watching her very carefully.

"Brother!" She turned and stared at him, outraged. How could he be suggesting this at a time like this? "I've already told you, I'm not interested in love—"

"—yet." He finished for her, holding a finger in front of her to shush her. "You must find a husband before the next winter arrives." As she continued to stare at him, disbelieving, he added, "tradition calls." Unable to respond to that, she looked around herself and stood up.

"I'm going to bed." She said quietly, trying to hide how much her brother's words had upset her. He looked up at her, looking hurt but stubborn, as if he felt that he didn't do the wrong thing by telling her. "Good night." She turned from him, trying to stop herself from running to her bed and collapsing in a heap on her blankets. Life was certainly was not going her way.

A blonde head poked out of the grass as blue eyes scanned the surrounding area. It looked safe enough, though he couldn't be sure in such darkness. He felt stupid and stubborn for saying that he would find a home for himself by tonight. It took long enough for him to find his way back to the river after wandering off in one direction, and by the time that he had found the spot he wanted to claim as his, the sky had already turned a sapphire blue. "It's going to be too late for me to go back and sleep in Awentia's clearing…" he noted with a small frown. "I guess I'll just sleep here for the night. Let's hope that I can find my way by myself…" He trailed off as a small yawn broke off his words. A small white rabbit wiggled its nose from where it had been placed beside the little boy.

With a little yawn, he tucked the creature to his chest and settled down in the tall grass. "'Night," he mumbled before letting himself slip into the darkness, which would soon give way to dreams.

"Etu?" Awentia stepped quietly into her clearing, worried at how he wasn't responding to her calls. There was a mad rustle of leaves before a blonde child toppled out of the trees and onto soft grass. "Are you alright?" She rushed to him, kneeling beside him as she helped him to his feet. He simply ignored her question and started tugging her toward where he had appeared.

"I found the perfect place!" He said, holding on a little too hard.

"Etu, it hurts a little," She told him, wincing a bit as if to prove her point.

"Oh! I'm sorry." His eyes widened and he dropped her hand. After glancing at her shyly, he reached out and took a hold of it gently while pointing in the direction he wanted to go. "Over this way."

"Wait." She pulled her hand out of his, and for a second, he looked up at her with a look of hurt in her eyes. "I need to go and grab an axe from my tribe. After all, we'll need to chop down some branches to start building it, right?" After hearing those words, Etu relaxed and gave her another one of his delighted smiles. "I'll be right back. You just stay there, alright?" He nodded, and she left to enter the camp. Etu looked down at his rabbit and smiled brightly.

"We're going to have a new home soon!" He said, reaching out to pick it up. He stood there for a couple of minutes until Awentia reappeared, carrying a fabric-bound axe. "Come on." Etu turned and started leading her to his new home. "Just follow the river when you're lost," he said, looking over his shoulder to make sure that she was close behind him. He could barely contain his excitement at how he was going to have a permanent home that wasn't made under the roots of large trees. At least then it wouldn't flood as easily.

It took several minutes before they reached the place he had claimed for his own. Nestled in the middle of the roots of two trees, there was enough space to make a small hut and bound them. Etu looked up expectantly at Awentia, who was both excited and pleasantly shocked. "It's beautiful," she whispered, "_and_ it's perfect! If we prop the wood on the roots and then bind them together, then—it's perfect." Etu beamed, eyes glowing with pride. "Let's get working as soon as possible! After all, winter's just around the corner.

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Hey guys, I know that Awentia talks a lot more like Iggy than I meant for her to, but we'll see where this takes us. As for Etu, it's pretty obvious who he is now, isn't it? I took the name from the example written in the fanfic "Unexplored Depths" and I thought it made good enough sense for me to use it as well. After all, it fits the character, and that's all that matters.

Anyway, reviews would be VERY much appreciated!

_I do not own Hetalia or the characters, those belong to their rightful (and freaking awesome) creator, Hidekaz Himaruya!_


	3. A Sudden Meeting

Hey guys, HUGE THANKS TO Niirasri on devART for giving me permission to use their AWESOME art (Lifeblood) as the picture to represent what goes on in this fanfic. If you want to check out the webpage for where I got this, visit: ** niirasri .deviantart art/ APH-Lifeblood -213638000**

Obviously, you'll have to search it without the spaces, but I hope all of you guys check out Niirasri's other art. I've only seen a bit at this point, but I have to say, their art is PHENOMENAL! I'll keep posting as fast as I can!

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"Awentia? Awentia! Are you listening to a single word I'm saying?" The girl snapped out of her trance, staring up at her third brother, who was the second-to-last child of the family. She was the baby of them, after all. He wore a scowl on his face, hands on his hips, and irritation literally radiated off his very being.

"Yes, yes, I know. We're moving as soon as the snow melts so that the aliens won't find us so easily." She said quickly, feeling a rush of embarrassment bring a flush of red against her cheeks. It was one thing to not listen to her older siblings while they were talking, but it was another when he was the sharpest one in the family. At her words, he closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, pressing his palm against his forehead. It was obvious how hard he was trying to control his temper.

"They're called White Men," he hissed out softly. "Do not let them hear you say that."

"Why? They don't speak our language." Awentia stared up at him, her expression accusatory, as if he had done something wrong or hadn't informed her of the tribe interacting with these foreign men.

"I know, but please be aware that the other tribes in our area speak very similarly to how we do. Even if we don't associate with the White Men, there is no guarantee that they will refuse to do so as well. And why am I even talking to you about this? You're a woman!" With that, he threw up his hands and paced, shaking his head.

"You talk to me about this because _you're_ afraid that dad and the others will hear you whining and you come to me to talk about these things because you won't be heard otherwise." Awentia reminded him, looking a bit offended and indignant. "Hakan, watch your tongue! Be well aware that father would chop your tongue if he heard you talking to everyone else like you talk to me! At least be glad that I don't complain very much at listening to you!"

"I'm going to grab lunch. Do you want anything?" He said suddenly, changing the topic and staring at her desperately, as if begging her to shut up.

"The usual," she replied, staring out the door as he walked out. She hugged her knees to her chest, letting out a long, restless sigh as she watched small clumps of white fall from the sky and melt into the white terrain. It had been only two months since she saw Etu, since only hunters were allowed out of their homes to search for food, but to her, it felt like years. The little boy had become such a big part of her existence even though she had only known him for a little less than a year! How was he? Was he cold? Was the bunny that always seemed to accompany him still around? Questions overflowed in Awentia's head as she pondered over the child, worrying herself to points where she was about to jump out the door and run to find him.

He couldn't build a fire or else his location would be found. Either that or he used dung to make his fire. But how? You needed friction and though his grasp was both strong and firm, he lacked the necessary experience and materials to do so. Not only that, but wouldn't he be in danger with such hungry creatures out there in the forest? Food was sparse, so he and the other predators would be hungry by now. She knew of how desperate the wild hunters would become as the winter raged on. The more she thought of all the dangers and troubles he would be going through, the more her head ached and begged her to stop. Once they moved from their current location to where they stayed during the heat of summer, she would be free to find him again.

Luckily, winter was quickly drawing to a close. If she was lucky, he would still be alive. '_I have ways of getting food._' She remembered hearing him say. The other tribes were much larger than theirs, so they would want more food and probably wouldn't spare much for Etu. Since almost all vegetation died out during the winter, there was nothing but meat that could be saved in this bitter cold. He must've survived a couple of years to grow to his age, but maybe his parents had been taking care of him at that time. Come to think of it, where were his parents? She would have to keep that question in mind to ask him. He may not like talking about how he survives winter (since he had reacted so shyly and uncomfortably at her topic of winter earlier on) but he would have to tell her about his family.

"Food's here." Awentia looked up as Hakan reappeared with small rations balanced on wooden plates. "We're cutting down a bit this year. The deer don't seem so common this winter. The small game is still good though." He said, passing her one.

"It's the aliens," she insisted, poking around on her plate. From the corner of her eye, she saw her brother scowl, but he did nothing to correct her. "They have those black sticks that make huge booming noises and whatnot. They're eating the deer."

"Maybe," her brother shrugged, chewing on a strip of meat carefully. As she brought her food to her mouth, he started talking about other things going on, like who was getting married in their tribe this spring, and what kills their older brothers had brought in.

Etu sighed, frowning as he huddled in the deerskin blankets that Awentia had stolen for him. Before, he had managed to win the affection of the other tribes, but he only stayed for the small scraps that they gave him or stayed just to be warm by the fire. The rabbit beside him had gone into deep sleep, waking up every once in a while just to nibble on some tree bark or relieve himself. Etu shivered even though the deerskin was warm and soft. He hated winter, and how nobody was up and about to play with him. Not only was it boring, but it was freezing cold and always managed to make him feel as if he were as weak as a blade of grass. His stomach growled again and he glanced over at his rabbit, hoping that he hadn't woken his pet up.

Luckily, the bunny stayed asleep and he let out a soft sigh of relief before rocking back and forth absentmindedly. He had toys to play with, but quickly grew bored of them after having nothing else to do as the snow continued to pile down upon the ground around him. "Hurry up, Spring," He murmured as he flopped forward to land on the wood. "I want to see Awentia again." With that, he pulled the deerskin blanket over his head and pitched himself into darkness.

"I guess that's the last of it all." Taima sighed, dropping his load of items onto a mattress made of weaved-together plants. Awentia glanced at her eldest brother, shooting him a quick smile when he looked up to meet her gaze. "All that's left is sorting all of these things out and rearranging everything. We have to go hunt, so…" He trailed off, nodding at Hakan and Ouray. She stared at them and then let out a heaving sigh.

"Fine! Be cruel brothers and leave your sister do all the work in this home!" Awentia yelled before turning on her heel and furiously digging through her satchel. Her brothers shot each other uneasy looks behind her back, obviously concerned about her. "Well? Are we going to starve for dinner tonight or not?" Caught red-handed, they looked guiltily at Awentia who was shooting them a venomous glare. "Shoo!" The three of them quickly retreated and bounded out of the house, taking their weapons with them. She seethed as she worked, furious how her brothers dumped their work on her just to go _hunting_. Today was the day that she would get to see Etu after _three months_. Truthfully, she thought seeing if the boy was still alive was much more important than tonight's meal. But her brothers, ever the wonderfully stereotypical men, thought of their stomachs when she thought of checking up on a little boy, living in the wilderness on his own. But then again, she never told them about him.

"If they come home with nothing tonight, I will _not_ be forgiving." She hissed aloud. "Those careless men!" Seeing to that her parents' things were rearranged neatly into folded piles on their bed, she roughly dumped whatever her brothers had onto their mattresses, not bothering to do much except to separate them. Unlike her siblings, her parents were at a meeting and helping the other, needier families in their tribe travel to the new campsite. The younger folk, after all, were told that they should move and unpack first. Satisfied with her work, she walked out of her home and kicked at the snow until she reached the dead grass settled just above the earth. "A little less snow than I thought." She wondered aloud, kicking a small path with her boots.

"Awentia!" She looked up to see Sisika waving frantically at her, obviously overjoyed to see her. She was the closest Awentia had to a friend, since she was the only other girl who knew of the aliens and of tribe matters. "It's been forever! Do you want to weave baskets with me? I found some pretty good reeds that we can use." Awentia hesitated—her 'friend' had become more and more like all the other tribe girls; flirtatious, simplistic, and forgiving. The strong, bold girl who spoke before she thought was now changing into what their tribe's men thought were 'proper women'.

"I'm sorry, but I'm a bit busy right now," she called back. "I think I dropped something in the snow on my way here." Her friend looked a bit surprised at the sudden rejection, but quickly recovered her smile.

"Do you want me to help?" Sisika called. Awentia winced inwardly at the thought of her meeting Etu and exposing the two of them.

"No, I'm fine. You should get working on your basket," Awentia reminded her, turning and stepping delicately toward their coastal camp. She could almost feel Sisika's disappointment from where she was standing, but chose to ignore it as she picked her way toward the coast. First she visited her clearing, which wasn't as frosty as she thought it would be. The stream had frozen, of course, but poking out of the thinly spread snow were large patches of green grass. Awentia stepped over the small frozen stream and looked around her. "Etu?" She called quietly. When there was no response, she waited for a few more moments before quietly retreating into the trees. As she reached the clearing with the river, she started to walk briskly toward where the river disappeared, but a crunching noise caught her attention.

She looked up and found herself staring at an alien, whose light brown hair and brown eyes were staring at her, unrestrained and unreadable. A tremor of fear rushed through her as she took off running—with only the thumping noises behind her informing her of the foreigner taking pursuit. She caught herself and quickly hurtled herself up a tree. She had been running in the direction of Etu, and if she let him there, she wouldn't be sure of what would happen to the child. Expertly climbing up its trunk, she found the highest branch that could support her weight. She stared down at the alien, bristling when he began to climb up after her. "Down!" She barked, catching his attention. "Mongrel! Alien! Down, you foreigner! Take nothing of ours!" He shook his head irritably and continued climbing.

She hissed furiously at him, but seeing no other choice, she began slithering down the tree. The pale man looked up, startled and confused. When she met him about halfway down the tree, she leapt off the trunk suddenly, rolling as she hit the ground and getting to her feet as soon as she recovered. The White Man called out after her, but she took off running toward the coast, hoping to give him false hope of who she was. She took off in the direction of the closest tribe that wasn't her own and hid in the forest until night fell. Only then, did she hesitantly return back to her own home. _Stupid alien_, she seethed inwardly, _you made it impossible for me to see Etu today. Go back to your own land, villain._

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Truthfully, my dad walked by and asked me if I was writing for my other stories (ones that aren't fanfic, ones that I have confidence will be published, one day...). When I told him that it was a story written off of a big plot made by someone else, he asked, "are you sure you're not wasting your time?"

Uh...Wasting my time? THIS IS HETALIA, MAN! YOU DON'T WASTE TIME WHEN DOING ALL THINGS HETALIA! (Okay, fine, maybe you do. But still.)

Anyway, once again, HUGE HUGE HUUUUUGGGEEE HAMBURGER BUFFALO THINGY THANKS TO NIIRASRI FOR LETTING ME USE THE ART PIECE "LIFEBLOOD" FOR THIS FANFIC!

_I do not own Hetalia or the characters, those belong to their rightful (and freaking awesome) creator, Hidekaz Himaruya!_


	4. In Your Arms

Hey guys, it's been a while! I've been taking classes for the past four weeks, so that's why I haven't been posting. (YEAH RIGHT, LIKE THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE EXCUSE). ...SHUT UP CONSCIENCE! Anyway, I've been going to bed at around 12 and waking up each morning at 6, so that's probably the reason why I was too tired to actually write. BUT HERE WE ARE! NEXT CHAPTER, HERE WE COME!

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Days passed, and even then Awentia was hesitant to go back out into the woods. Did she want to encounter that alien in the woods? There would be no doubt that his curiosity would lead him to search the clearing in which he had met her again and again, in hope to see her. She disliked the sight of him, but she couldn't help match the sense of interest at the foreign man brought to her heart. Why did he not shoot her when upon seeing her? To him, she was the unruly savage who wore different clothes and fought with teeth and nails rather than with those black sticks that made booming noises when used. Etu must've been disappointed by now, since he hadn't seen in her a while and the snow had mostly melted away. She longed to see him too and see that innocent smile that somehow washed away all her worries.

But she couldn't risk his safety, above all. That alien that she met would no doubt tell his friends of her. Having seen how easily he moves up trees, she doubted that her escape would aid her again if she met him for the second time. She would rather die than lead those white men to where Etu had made his home. She would just have to pray to the spirits and hope that they would comfort him in her absence. Her brothers eyed her curiously as a week passed, seeing her behavior unusual as she fidgeted and grew more and more impatient each day. When the sun poked over the heads of the sycamores on the ninth day, she snapped. At the break of dawn, she tore out of the village, recklessly tossing up leaves with her feet as she scrambled to find Etu.

It had been too long, and she had waited for the inevitable. Each and every day, scouts returned with news of the white men exploring deeper and deeper into their woods. It wouldn't be long until they find Etu, along with her tribe's camp. But what worried her most was that they would find the golden-haired boy before she could see him again. Now, with the grass slowly growing out of the cold ground and the dead leaves from fall still littered everywhere, the world seemed dualistic and cruel. It not only endangered her family but her loved ones as well. Why did the white man have to take what was not theirs? Did they not understand that the world is full of life and even those who do not move have spirits? Earth is not something that is dead or claimable. Nature was a celestial force that was to be reckoned with—not challenged. Yet it seemed nothing but the white man's ideas to tame her.

"Etu!" Despite the dangers, her voice exploded through the clearing, echoing amongst the trees as she burst into the small area that the boy inhabited. She stood there, staring disbelievingly at the house, almost desperate as there was no reply in the seconds to come. Grief and fear seized her heart and she cried out again, "Etu!" Just when she was about to turn and run back into the forest, she heard a soft creaking noise. A blonde head poked out of the entryway as blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Awentia!" Etu launched himself at her, his eyes alight with love and pure joy. She hugged him tightly, barely choking back tears of relief as she clung onto him. He hugged her back with just as much force and they stayed like that for a couple of moments, savoring each other's presence after three long months.

"Have the aliens approached you? They didn't hurt you, did they?" Awentia ran her long, slim fingers over his cheeks, dark eyes critically scanning his face.

"I saw them," Etu hesitated before saying, "they look like me. Awentia, can you tell me anything about these strangers like me?" She stiffened immediately at his words and bit her lip as she decided on what she was going to say to him.

"I don't know very much about them," she started slowly. "But I do not trust them. They have black sticks that explode at the tip when they pull some sort of trigger. Etu, promise me that you won't get too close to them. They're dangerous, and it won't be long before we have to come in contact with them. Until then, stay as far away from them as you can." He looked a bit upset at her words, but nodded with guarded curiosity. Awentia curled her fingers over his small hand and massaged the flesh, thinking absentmindedly as she thought of how possible it was for the white aliens to find him. The clearing was small and very hard to find without the landmarks to guide one with.

She was quickly pulled out of her thoughts as he jumped off of her lap and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go running again," he said, smiling up at her. She returned the warm gesture and the two of them sprinted through the pine trees that made up the majority of the denser parts of the forest. Sweet and minty scents were tossed into the air as the pine needles were scattered and stirred by their running feet, painting the air with a sense of freshness and tranquility that matched the peace that they felt in their hearts. They chase one another and ran until the moon rose. When they finally rolled over the spongy hills of pine and cuddled up in the soft grass, Awentia remembered that she didn't need to return to the campsite tonight. Since it was spring, many of the tribe members would be out searching for food—and many of them would stay out for nights on end. Surely it wouldn't attract too much attention if she had been out for just one night.

She would have to find food, though, in order to make it seem as if she wasn't wasting her time on these night-outs. That wouldn't be much of a problem; since she knew most of the berry bushes in the forest and that she knew the trails better than anyone else in her tribe. Etu yawned into her dress, snuggling up against the deerskin fabric. She cuddled him closer and rested her head against his, relishing the absolute softness of the golden strands. Just as she felt him nodding off, a howl pierced the calm night air. Alarmed, Etu shot up and leapt into her arms, burying his face into her chest. "W-what was that?" He stammered, looking around fearfully.

Awentia carefully held him back until she could see his face, wide and stricken with fear. "It was a wolf crying to the moon," she said cautiously, confusion laced in her words. "What did you think it was?"

"S-s-spirits," Etu's face blushed a bright red, although it looked gray in the moonlight. She couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her and how he seemed to blush even harder. "Evil ones, you know? Ghosts! Vengeful figures!" Her amusement faded to a tender feeling of love as she stroked his hair, and took him by the hand. The more that she learned about him, the deeper her care for him went. He was precious—a newborn in her eyes. She loved him and she would never let anything hurt him. Was this the feeling all mothers had to their children?

"Come on," she smiled reassuringly at him as he blindly let her lead him through the darkness. He shuddered more with every step, but his eyes expressed how much he trusted her. "I'll take you to see the wolf. When you see him, you won't be that scared anymore." At her words, he seemed to flinch and take his hand out of hers.

"But he bites!" Etu hugged his hands to his chest. "A-and he snarls and looks like a demon at times." Awentia opened her arms to him and he quickly leapt into her embrace, staring out fearfully into the woods.

"My dear Etu," she murmured against his hair, "there is still so much that you must learn. These animals are not your enemies. Like you, they are trying to survive and grow. Therefore you must be sure to make it so that you are not their superior or their inferior—but rather, their equal. Your wants and needs are the same. Food, shelter, and love. True, we have tools that make us superior to them, but the last thing we want is a hated relationship between us and the animals. They are a part of us as we are a part of them. We are all connected to one another in a hoop that never ends." She paused, seeing that he had stopped trembling. "Will you come with me to hear the wolf sing?"

The blonde child hesitated before nodding, a new understanding look appearing in the depths of his blue eyes. He took her hand and allowed her to lead him through the trails once again, until they reached a small clearing by a small, rocky hill. A wolf lifted its head and cried out, its lips forming an "o" as it pointed its nose to the sky. When Etu shivered again, Awentia looked down and saw a mixture of fear and awe in his eyes. His fear of the wolves was almost gone, she noted, before looking up again to gaze at the wolf. In the silver light, it shone with an eerie iciness—as if it were made of stone or moonlight. Its beauty was dangerous and alluringly breathtaking. The two of them sat there until the wolf paused in it serenading and turned to nuzzle the companion who walked up to join it in its song.

Just then, something rustled out of the undergrowth and a painted face poked out of the ferns. With tufts at the end of its ears, black dots decorating its face, and eyes as pale as the moon, the bobcat looked like a monster in the darkness. It looked up at them, appearing as if it were almost smiling at how they didn't run away from it. Awentia watched Etu as he stared at the feline, eyes widening in wonder. Then his face split into a huge smile as he grinned back at the bobcat. With small hands, he reached out for it. She watched carefully to make sure that the creature wasn't going to lash out at the young boy, but the bobcat started at the movement and fled back into the darkness of the forests.

Slightly disappointed, Etu dropped his hands, but his attention flew immediately back to the singing wolves. "…Awentia?" He whispered, fingers curling in the fabric of her clothes.

"Yes, Etu?"

"They sing beautifully, but…" He hesitated before curling a fist over his heart. "It hurts in here."

"That's because there is a sad story behind these songs," she told him, holding him to her chest. "The wolf king had a lover—once. She died giving birth to his pups and many other females died in the next week due to some sort of disease. The male wolves mourned and wept over their dead lovers for months, not even stopping to feed and care for themselves. One day, the wolf king was ready to submit to death when he suddenly entered a dream and his dead lover came to see him. 'No, you cannot live this way,' she had told him. 'I will always be with you, so please continue living.'

'Where?' The wolf king cried, reaching out for her. She swiftly pulled herself away from him, shaking her head.

'If you touch me,' she said, 'you will die too. I will be with the moon, and whenever you miss me, please sing to the moon and I will appear to you in your dreams.' And then she disappeared and the king began to sing every night to his dead lover because of how much he missed her. The other wolves heard what the king was told and they did the same, singing to their lovers who were watching them from the moon." Etu sniffled and looked up longingly at the wolves on the rocks.

"I think…that when I lose someone important to me, I'm going to sing to them like they do," he murmured. Awentia said nothing and pressed a soft kiss to his temple. Together they drifted off to sleep, soothed yet chilled by the eerie and melancholic song of the wolves.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys, I finally figured out what "A/N" meant! ...Yeah, I think I'm out of it. Anyway, school's going to start soon so I'm going to try to finish as much of this series as I can before I get overwhelmed with homework. Hopefully everyone that reads this will review...or do something to let me know that this story is going on well.

Anyway, here's the random copywrite thing that I have to put on every single on of these fanfics : _I do not own Hetalia or the characters, those belong to their rightful (and freaking awesome) creator, Hidekaz Himaruya!_

ANNNNDDD: _I do not own the song "colors of the wind" or any disney songs/references used in this story._

Thank you and have a nice day.

Anyway, R&R PLEASE (Dude, I sound desperate...WTH?) and I'll be writing more as soon as I can.


	5. Their People, and Ours

Heads up: Yes, I did publish two chapters in one day. The first one was written a while ago and was finished today, however.

* * *

"I heard the river spirit sing a happy song

He sang that tune 'til the sun had gone

Over the horizon had he sung the sun asleep

Singing those to sleep was the role that he'd keep

He bubbled, purred, and pranced around

In his depths, life was found

Fishes darted while otters swam by…"

Etu frowned as he stumbled over the last few lines and Awentia waited patiently as he insistently repeated the last stanza of the song. "Shh, shh, stop." She told him after he failed to sing it correctly. "It's like this…" She broke off to begin singing the last few words of the tune, Etu's high pitched voice desperately trying to match hers in a harmony. After a little bit, he frowned again and looked at Awentia with a pout on his small face.

"I can't get it right!" He wailed, stamping his feet. She looked at him worriedly as he erupted into another one of his tantrums. It had been five days since they had gone out to see the wolves and Etu became insistent in learning how to sing. They sat near a small cliff that overlooked the tiny, jagged mountain range below. Awentia was determined to teach him how to sing her tribe's songs to the rock faces so that the echo of the mountains could reward them with the same song—only with a million more voices added in. As he threw his fit and burst into tears at his failed attempts, she glanced around him, hoping to find something to calm him down. She knew how hard it was as a child to want to perfect something. She had been the same way when it came to stitching and carving.

From the corner of her eye, she saw black bunches hanging off of a small bush. Unnoticed by Etu, who was currently wailing pitifully as his fists hit the ground, she crept over and plucked a couple of handfuls before scooting back over to him. She said nothing until he quieted down and sniffled, hugging his knees to his chest. "Etu," Awentia murmured, tucking his blonde hair behind his ears. "I have something that might make you feel better." When he finally looked up at her, she offered him one of the black berries that she had picked. Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, he carelessly tossed the fruit into his mouth and chewed. She waited his reaction, smiling as he immediately perked up in interest.

"Those are good!" His eyes glowed, as if attempting to express his delight.

"Have another one." She handed him a couple, watching in amusement as he popped them in his mouth, one at a time. His eyes closed in bliss as he savored the mixture of flavors. Awentia carefully placed one in her mouth, her tongue running over the smooth surface of the fruit before she bit into the berry and welcomed the tangy mixture of sweet and sour. "Careful," she warned him as he reached for the rest of the berries that she had put on a leaf. "These stain clothing. You must be careful while eating them."

He paused in his eating and looked out at the landscape before them. Bewildered, Awentia tried to see what he had sighted but she couldn't see anything worth her attention. Etu stood up and blindly handed the berries back to Awentia, who had scrambled to catch them as they all tumbled out of his hands. He opened his mouth and began to sing, harmonizing his voice with the ones the mountains used to reply to him. She watched in wonder as he completed all of the songs that she had ever taught him and how perfectly his voice fitted with the returning echoes. When he finished, a broad smile was her only warning before he jumped onto her, hugging her tight to his chest. "I did it! I did it!"

"You did." She gave him an approving smile. "I have another song that I want you hear, though." When he looked up at her expectantly, she began;

"_You think you own whatever land you land on__  
The earth is just a dead thing you can claim__  
But I know every rock and tree and creature__  
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name__"_

As she sang this stanza, she remembered how the white aliens had invaded her tribe's land fire those dangerous and loud black sticks. After all, she had written this song down after creating it the night before.

_You think the only people who are people__  
Are the people who look and think like you__  
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger__  
You'll learn things you never knew you never knew_

In her mind's eye, she recalled seeing Etu peer up at her through the tall stalks of grass in her favorite clearing. He was the equivalent of an alien's child, but he had followed in her footsteps.

_Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon__  
Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?__  
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?__  
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?__  
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?_

She remembered how Etu had trembled and when he had heard the mournful cries of the wolves. That bobcat that had ran off after the child had outstretched his arms to it. How today they were singing to the mountains and waiting for the song to return to them. Realizing that they hadn't experienced one of the things she was singing about, she decided to reenact that part when the time came.

_Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest__  
Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth__  
Come roll in all the riches all around you__  
And for once, never wonder what they're worth_

The day that she had finally seen him again was the day that they had ran and rolled amongst the pines in the forest. Today was when they had eaten the blackberries—early, but tangy on their tongues. Etu, at her words, had snuggled up to his bunny, whose nose refused to stop twitching. When had she forgotten about his rabbit? He brought it everywhere, yet she always failed to notice it…

_The rainstorm and the river are my brothers__  
The heron and the otter are my friends__  
And we are all connected to each other,__  
In a circle, in a hoop that never ends_

The songs that they sang reminded her of when she had taken him canoeing once. They had been skimming along the bank of a peaceful riverside while Etu had ogled and cooed at whatever creatures poked their heads out toward him.

_Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon__  
Or let the eagle tell you where he's been__  
Can you sing with all the voices of the mountain?__  
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind__  
Can you paint with all the colors of the wind_

They had come across some eagles and Etu had been curious enough to perch himself on a small ledge to peek into the nest of the birds. Awentia was terrified as she saw one of them land on the edge of the nest and squawk at the young boy. She had braced herself to leap forward and grab him, but he had already reached out a hand and was petting the eagle. Stunned, she realized how deep of a connection Etu had with animals, seeing how close the bunny and the bobcat had gotten to him.

_How high does the sycamore grow?__  
If you cut it down, then you'll never know_

She knew what was going on near the shores of where the white men had landed. They were cutting down the forests, killing all of the tree spirits that had lived in that area for hundreds of years. Many of the secrets of those trees would be left untold if the aliens wanted to destroy their homes.

_And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon__  
For whether we are white or copper-skinned__  
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain__  
Need to paint with all the colors of the wind__  
You can own the earth and still__  
All you'll own is earth until__  
You can paint with all the colors of the wind"_

These words were almost defiant and overbearing as she sang them, bitterly condemning the white foreigners on how they destroy things before they discover the true beauty of Nature. They knew nothing of the simplistic refinement of the everyday wildflower and they failed to understand the stupefying artistry of the wolf howling its love songs to the moon overhead. When she finished, Etu was silent. She was fairly alarmed—all the other songs had made him excited and determined to sing along, but this one had quieted her down.

"Awentia…" Etu hesitated before continuing, "Is this song you sing to the one that you love?" She blinked at him blankly before realizing what reference he was making. A song to the moon. She burst out laughing, almost crying as he started to get agitated at her sudden reaction to his words.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She giggled, hugging him close and kissing his forehead. When the last of her chuckles died off, her earlier amusement had turned into wonder. "…Actually," she murmured, "That doesn't sound half bad." Then she looked up into the sky, just barely making out the returning figure of the moon. "I guess it _is_ my song to the moon, Etu. I just don't know who I'm singing it to."

Etu stared at her for a good moment before saying, "well, whoever this song is being sung to, they're really lucky." Awentia looked back at him and smiled, ruffling his hair as she got up.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go back to the tribe right now. They're expecting me to help with lunch. I'll be back in the afternoon, I'm sure." He pouted at her words, but his smile returned when she gave him one last kiss on his forehead. "Do you need me to walk you back?" Etu shook his head, puffing his chest out as he went on about being a big boy now. She chuckled and waved goodbye as she carefully navigated her way back to the new campsite. With the sudden advancements of the white settlers, her tribe had panicked and drove deeper into the forests—farther into unknown territory than they've ever been. They'd survive the summer and the autumn for sure, but it would be dangerous to say otherwise about winter. They had to abandon most of their crops, but several people were sent to collect whatever they could.

When she arrived at the camp, Hakan was the one who spotted her first. "Awentia," he said critically as he stalked over to her, "you're late."

"I know. Where do you need me to be?" A brief look of hesitation passed over her brother's face before he told her.

"Shore."

"What? Don't you know how many whites are swarming around there?"

"I know, but we need to start stocking up for winter because we might not have enough food for everyone. Even with small rations." Hakan began to look desperate as he fiddled with the straps on his gathering basket. "Hunters are finding less and less prey to hunt while our crops have been abandoned."

"Okay, okay. Calm down. I'll go get them." She patted his shoulder reassuringly as she grabbed the gathering basket from him and ran off to the direction of the shoreline. As she passed through the forests, she couldn't help but notice the naked stumps and the missing trees in the groves. The whites were definitely advancing, and they weren't caring a single thing for everything that they were killing. By the time that she had reached the crops, she was already tense and ready to run, almost shaking as she piled in whatever she could grab. A sudden cry from the trees beyond where she stood startled her. She continued to shove ripened crops into her basket until it was full and achingly heavy.

When she looked down at it, she cursed softly and began to drag it into the forest. This would take forever to lug back to the camp and she had been so careless and unaware of what she was gathering that she wasn't even sure about if there were whites in the forest around her. After hefting it as far away as she thought would be safe, she crept back to the clearing and peered through the trees that separated her from the shoreline tribe. She saw a white man with green eyes and brown hair—devilish and merciless smirk on his face. He was pointing one of the black sticks at the villagers, who were crowding around one another in fear.

"You said that you wouldn't harm our people!" She heard one of them cry out as more and more aliens appeared behind the brown-haired man.

"You haven't been able to pay the tributes that we told you to." The man replied, a thick accent lacing his words. Awentia flinched. He knew their language?

"We couldn't! We barely have enough to feed ourselves!"

"Well that's too bad—" The man was suddenly cut off when a hand heartily slapped his shoulder. "Francis!" He turned, hugging the pale-blonde man who opened his arms to him. Similarly to Etu, he had blue eyes, but his were pale and licentious as they looked over the cowering villagers of the shoreline tribe. They shook hands and patted each other on the back. "I thought you weren't ever going to come, _mi amigo_!"

"_Mon ami_, I was merely being 'eld back by the winds! And what 'ave we 'ere?" His eyes narrowed. "Women."

"You can't have any of them!" What looked to be the chief of the tribe stepped forward, his eyes wide in defiance as he protectively threw out his arms in front of his people. "They are our people, and you have yours! They will not be your possessions!"

"We'll see about that." The blonde man sneered, lifting a black stick and firing it. The chief let out a choked cry before falling to his knees, clutching at his chest. Awentia tried to maneuver herself desperately, wanting to see what happened. She was rewarded in her efforts when some women screamed and a man flipped the chief onto his back. A small, black hole was blasted to his left breast and the flesh around it looked red and blistered. Awentia backed away, horror flooding into her as the chief's eyes rolled back into the back of his head and blood began to pour out of the hole. "You should know better than to challenge a man with a musket." Everyone in the tribe began to run for weapons as women screamed and fled to the forests.

Rifle. That's what those black sticks were called. Awentia turned and fled, grabbing her gathering basket and sprinting into the woods. She couldn't let her find them. Burdened with such a weight, it was hard to run, but she continued on, until she found herself in the small grove that her new campsite was in. Her brothers looked up in alarm as they saw how exhausted she was as other women walked up to relieve her of the burden. "Awentia," Taima asked as she stumbled toward them, "what happened?"

"They're," she gasped," they're called _muskets_. Those black sticks? Blew a hole…straight into the shoreline…tribe's chief's chest."

"_What?_"

"H-h-he's dead," Awentia stammered, "I saw it. There was blood everywhere." She grabbed her brother's sleeves in her hands. "T-Taima. We need to get as far away from them as possible. They might be coming for _us_." _And Etu_, she noted fearfully in her head. Then she froze. _Etu!_ "Taima, I need to check on something." She called as she wrenched herself from her brother. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Even though her back and her legs screamed to her to stop, she pushed on until she arrived at Etu's clearing. The blonde boy looked up at her in surprise.

"Awentia? What's wrong?"

"We need to get you somewhere else," she croaked, grabbing his house. It was small enough that she could get a good enough grip, but it was big enough for Etu to lay eagle spread and for Awentia to sit without hunching. Confused, he unloaded as much as he could carry and followed her as she stumbled through the forest while hugging his home. When they reached a very small clearing, she set it down on the exposed roots of the trees and helped him tie it down until it was secure. When she was done, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close.

"Awentia? What's wrong?" Etu repeated, but she said nothing as she buried her head into his tiny shoulder. _I don't care what kind of people they are. But you are of both. You are one of my people just as you are one of theirs. But you are my family, and they are not. I will protect you no matter what. You're everything to me. I need to protect you._

* * *

A/N: Finally! I managed to put in the song! I usually hate it whenever authors stick songs in their fanfictions because I think that it ruins the flow of the story, but here I am, being hypocritical. It didn't seem like it would make much of a connection if I just wrote the song into the story, so I thought that there should be a slight description of each stanza. At this point, I'm trying to recreate the scenes that I see whenever I listen to this song, so that's why it seems a bit rushed and forced when I put all of this through.

BTW, I was the one who wrote the poem. I absolutely suck at rhyming and most of the lines sound really forced to me. It was going to be longer, but when I tried singing along, I stumbled and realized how wordy this was and how I couldn't make the poem/song fit to any tune that I thought would be fitting.

Yes, the berries are blackberries. I was absolutely sure (even though I didn't research it) that blackberries grew on the east coast before the Europeans came (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong though). They're not my favorites, though. I wasn't sure if there were blueberries growing naturally on the west coast, so I checked that off and tossed the idea out the window.

Once again, I feel pretty bad about all that I'm doing to Awentia. But I think that it helps me understand her as I write about her just as readers learn as they read about her.

_I do not own Hetalia or the characters, those belong to their rightful (and freaking awesome) creator, Hidekaz Himaruya! _AND ___I do not own the song "colors of the wind" or any disney songs/references used in this story._


End file.
